There seems to be some misunderstanding by at least one poster that I expected to meet a black bear, grizzly bear and polar bear all on one canoe trip. Not likely as as far as I know grizzes are extinct here in MB. But polar bears sure - they're an extreme hazard in Churchill and its conceivable that you would have to defend yourself from one if canoeing or backpacking in Northern Manitoba.
And one post did mention grizzlys here in MB so you never know. Conservation MB used to deny the existence of cougars here. (not the Palimino kind)
Barren land grizzlies have been spotted and photographed near Churchill, and both to the northwest and to the southeast by numerous people, which sort of ends the speculation. Encountering them them while unlikely cannot be discounted.
Its for when you are on your own or in a small group and the sh*t hits the fan when you are least expecting it. Like when you are carrying a canoe on your shoulders while portaging. You might not even see the bear. That's why the reference to a non shooter. The non shooter might have the firearm and be the one to have to use it. This is the reason for the emphasis on dependability and simplicity. I want something that a non shooter could understand and use after a few demonstrations. That may or may not include range time - in an ideal world it would. But probably wouldn't as we all live busy lives, and a non shooter unless highly motivated probably isn't interested in going to the range.
At best it might be a few practice rounds on the trail or shoreline.
There is nothing simple about dealing with a dangerous bear encounter. If you intend to take a companion with you, intending to have them fire a few shots on the trail or along the shoreline isn't doing them any favors. They should become competent marksmen prior to leaving, and there is plenty of time to accomplish that. In a dangerous bear situation, your breath will be short, your hands and legs will shake, you'll have tunnel vision, your fine motor skills will take a dump, and you won't shoot as well as you did on the range. I don't understand why you would put anyone in that situation without first ensuring a basic level of competence with a rifle. Even better get them out hunting so that they understand what happens when a large animal is hit by gunfire. I encourage you to take a couple of cracker shell pistols, and train up on those too. They are usually effective although as Pounder describes, there are exceptions. The trick is to use them in places where you won't start fires, and taking care not to shoot beyond the bear and scare it towards you.
A cracker shell passes over a bear's back and explodes behind it chasing him the wrong way . . .
Shotguns are good, I hadn't thought of that. So are the pump rifles. My gut says stay away from autoloaders and even levers (that hurts as I'm a lever guy when hunting). If you must know my tendency would be a short bolt action. There were a number of good recommendations in this respect:
Remington 700s, Model 7s, Ruger 77s, Mauser 98 action...; calibers: .35 Whelen, .358 Win, .350 RM, .35 Rem...
As for price range... well again I didn't specify one but its safe to assume I'm not going out with a Cape gun or granddad's antique Winchester '95. No exotics or custom guns, no modern mag fed military with an Elcan or Eotech -
...something that if it falls into the river when you flip your canoe or bash against the rocks, or that non shooter drops - you either pick it up, clean it off and it still works; or if its a write off, you don't find yourself out of pocket thousands of $$$.
BTW I already hunt with a .358 BLR so that had something to do with the caliber choice.
Thanks to all who posted.
On an extended trip, shotguns although versatile aren't the best choice. The barrels and magazines tend to be thin and are easily dented, rendering them inoperable. Shotgun shells when exposed to the elements for extended periods of time tarnish and corrode, which can effect how they cycle through the gun. Shotgun shells are also bulky and heavy, so they take up more room than rifle cartridges do, and you can carry far fewer for the same weight.
An auto loader shouldn't be discounted out of hand. Since the 19th Century machinery has been performing repetitive tasks more quickly and more accurately than can be performed by a human being, firearm actions are no different. The real advantage of the semi auto has, is not its rate of fire, its that multiple shots can be fired without breaking the firing grip, without lifting your face off the stock, and with no chance of short stroking the action under stress. You might be afraid, but your BAR isn't. I like big rifles, but not everyone does, having said that I think a .30/06 is a prudent minimum for bear work. If you want more, a 9.3X62 is an intelligent step up, but buy lots of ammo, because you won't find it everywhere. Once we get into the big case magnums and the .45/70, you are better off to use handloads, as purchasing ammunition is sufficient quantity to become competent is financially intimidating.
Which ever rifle or shotgun you purchase, the chances are it will need to have something done to it by a competent gunsmith before its appropriate to use. You might need to adjust the length of pull, you might need to change the sights, or the gun might need some trigger work, or action polishing to improve cycling. Be sure your your rifle cycles the ammunition you intend to use, that is a surprise you don't need.
